Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Trauma-Informed Care In Higher Education For Hispanics, Latino/A/X/E, And Afro-Latinos Impacted By Adverse Childhood Experiences, Daylene A. Medina, Lilian Grijalva

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Henshaw (2022) discusses the importance of trauma-informed approaches in higher education institutes by implementing culturally responsive policy, research, and practice to support students impacted by trauma. However, less is known about how effective trauma-informed care is and its impact on the educational outcomes of racial and ethnic minority students, specifically Hispanics, Latino/a/x/e, and Afro-Latinos students in community colleges. Past studies have excluded Hispanics, Latino/a/x/e, and Afro-Latinos from research due to insignificant participation and risk re-traumatization. Objective: This evaluative study aims to determine effectiveness of trauma-informed care for adult (18 and older) Moreno Valley College students in their last academic …

Unschoolers In Higher Education: A Narrative Case Study Of Unschoolers’ Sense Of Belonging At University, Melissa Marie Carlson

Dissertations

Approximately 20% of families engaged in homeschooling have selected unschooling as their educational approach, with estimates suggesting this number may be even higher (Vesneski et al., 2022). Unschooling emphasizes the establishment of an environment where children can autonomously direct their learning by exploring their interests, unencumbered by traditional educational milestones or specific schedules (Arnall, 2018; Riley, 2020; Riley & Gray, 2015). Despite increasing public acceptance and recognition, research on the outcomes for unschoolers—particularly those pursuing higher education—is limited (Riley, 2020). The purpose of this study was to explore the importance of supporting unschoolers after they have matriculated, specifically fostering sense …

Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown: Exploring The Impact Of Hair Discrimination And Educational Grooming Policies As It Relates To Black Women In Educational Leadership, Myriah Hampton

All Dissertations

Black women’s professional expertise is often challenged or rejected as they navigate leadership roles in K–12 and higher education. Research indicates that barriers to advancement are shaped by organizational bias, stereotypes, and grooming policies that privilege Eurocentric standards. While scholarship has addressed leadership barriers such as the glass ceiling, less attention has been given to how hair discrimination and authenticity intersect with Black women’s leadership experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine how Black women educational leaders experience hair discrimination, navigate authenticity, and respond to policies such as the Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair …

Grading Of Discussion Boards In Asynchronous Higher Education Courses And Its Effect On Social Presence: A Causal-Comparative Study, Heather Ann Hanson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative, non-experimental study was to determine if the grading methods of discussion board assignments in asynchronous courses affect the students’ perceived social presence. Social presence is one of the three factors of the Community of Inquiry (COI) that play a role in supporting the learning experience. The target population was graduate students in asynchronous online education courses. A sample of 92 students were surveyed from five institutions using the Community of Inquiry (COI) survey. They were placed in three groups based on the grading methods of discussion board assignments. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) …

Faculty Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence As A Teaching And Learning Tool In Higher Education: A Causal-Comparative Study, Elizabeth A. Fitch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine the differences in attitudes, benefits, and threats of using artificial intelligence tools in teaching and learning among community college faculty in Tennessee. The findings of this study are important because faculty acceptance or rejection of emerging technology determines educational innovation. The sample was composed of 211 full-time faculty employed at twelve community colleges in Tennessee. Data were collected using the Attitudes, Benefits, and Threats instrument which was administered by electronic survey. The results of the two-way MANOVA did not find a significant difference among attitudes, benefits, and threats associated with …

The Role Of Mindset In The Academic Resilience Of Non-Residential Health Profession Students: A Phenomenological Study, Julie Lynn Branagan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of academic resilience of non-residential healthcare students in rural regions of the Northeast United States. The theoretical framework guiding this study was Carol Dweck's theory on growth mindset, as it exposed the relationship of personal perspective on academic resiliency. This study attempted to answer the central research question: What are the lived experiences of academic resilience among non-residential health profession students? An extensive review of the literature revealed the compounding aspects of resilience research with specific attention to health profession students. Data collection methods included a letter-writing …

Development In Comprehensive Onboarding Training And Professional Development For Online Adjunct Faculty, Leslie R. Stover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hiring online adjunct faculty in higher education continues to grow, encompassing nearly half of the overall faculty population. As four-year institutions rely on the benefits of adjunct faculty, they must also invest in their orientation and continuous development. Existing literature confirms the varied approaches to supporting adjunct faculty, deficiency in coordinated programming, and reveals a lack of understanding in adjunct faculty's perception of training delivered. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, this study explored the gap between the onboarding and professional development an institution provides and the online adjunct faculty’s perception of its effectiveness. The research questions explored the lived experiences …

Exploring Full-Time Female Faculty Members’ Experiences With Institutional Climate In Rural Arkansas Community Colleges: A Preregistered Study, Gabrielle Patterson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current literature implies that female faculty in community colleges often endure a chilly organizational climate of marginalization. This marginalization makes female faculty more likely to leave higher education than male colleagues because of a lack of appreciation and recognition. This qualitative exploratory multiple-case study (preregistered study) uses the Job Embeddedness Theory as its conceptual framework. It explores full-time female faculty members’ (F-TFFMs) experiences with institutional climate in rural Arkansas community colleges to understand their motivations to teach in the setting and the reasons they choose to stay in their position. Findings from this study will show F-TFFMs motivations to …

It Starts With Trust: How Mid-Level Student Affairs Supervisor Trust Behaviors Impact Entry-Level Staff Leave Intention, Latonya Monique Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact of how higher education student affairs mid-level managers (supervisors) develop and maintain trust with directly supervised entry-level staff (employees). Intervention in complex student development-oriented activities, student crises, and political protests has increased since the 1930s at higher education institutions throughout the United States. Entry-level or frontline student affairs staff manage these challenges most frequently. Yet these professionals often leave their positions within 3 years. Studies have highlighted inconsistent supervision as one of three reasons entry-level staff vacated their roles. Although many researchers have investigated why these staff members exited the field, less knowledge exists about …

Predicting And Forecasting University Rankings In The Uae Using Machine Learning, Fatma Ibrahim Ahmad

Theses

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a vital role in advancing knowledge economies, and institutional rankings are increasingly used as global benchmarks of academic performance and reputation. In the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), enhancing institutional competitiveness in global rankings aligns with national strategies such as UAE Vision 2030 and the Centennial Plan 2071. This research applies machine learning (ML) techniques to develop predictive models that forecast institutional ranking outcomes, enabling data-driven planning and continuous academic improvement. The study utilizes a dataset compiled from the QS World University Rankings (2020–2024), cross- referenced against the institutional listings maintained by the …

Researching Research Leaders: A Qualitative, Phenomenological, Transcendental Study Of University Institutional Official Relations With Stakeholders Using The Competing Values Framework, Sara Grano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological, transcendental exploratory study was to understand institutional officials’ (IO) lived relational leadership experiences with internal and external stakeholders with competing values in U.S. research universities. The competing values framework guided the study to investigate IOs’ lived experiences when relating to diverse stakeholders in research universities. The central research question asked was what are the experiences of IOs in research universities when practicing relational leadership with diverse stakeholders with competing values? Ten participants were recruited for this qualitative study using the purposeful sampling and then snowball method of recruiting. The elite participants had experience serving …

Strategies For Integrating Data Analytics In Accounting, Alisa C. Disalvo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased need for data analytics proficiency requires accounting program directors and faculty to explore strategies to reduce the technology skills gap between education and professional requirements. Grounded in the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies that program directors use to integrate data analytics into the accounting program curriculum. The participants were 8 program directors and 2 faculty with over 2 years of program change experience in the accounting department. Data were collected through semi structure interviews with 10 participants and comparative data analysis with the AICPA & NASBA report. Through a …

High Ability, Hidden Gaps: Building Quantitative Reasoning Amongst Singapore’S Mathematically Literate, Rebecca M. Nichols

Numeracy

In Singapore, where primary and secondary students routinely top standardized worldwide mathematics examinations, a paradox emerges: when reaching university, many struggle to apply their skills critically in real-world contexts. This commentary examines the challenges and strategies involved in teaching quantitative reasoning (QR) to mathematically literate students in a top-ranking Singaporean university. While these students arrive well-trained in computation and procedural problem-solving, they often lack confidence and flexibility in ambiguous, data-driven decision-making. This article argues that fostering QR education is crucial not only for Singapore but for education globally, as QR skills underpin evidence-based reasoning within and across disciplines. Such an …

Internationalization And Its Challenges At U.S. Regional Comprehensive Universities: The Transformational Leadership Role Of Senior International Officers, Ibrahima F. Yaro Ed.D., Aaron W. Hughey Ed.D.

Leadership Faculty Publications

This interpretive phenomenological analysis investigated the role of transformational leadership and the challenges that senior international officers (SIOs) face in internationalizing regional comprehensive universities (RCUs) in the United States. Twelve in- depth interviews were conducted with SIOs from five regions: the West, Midwest, South, Southeast, and Northwest. The findings indicate that the transformational leadership approach is the primary leadership style utilized by senior international officers for the effective and successful internationalization of their institutions. The findings highlight a wide range of challenges that a senior international officer may encounter at a regional comprehensive university in the United States. The study …

Enhancing Self-Efficacy For Engagement With Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Initiatives: Evaluation Of A Seven-Day Immersive Pilot Program In A College Of Education, Health, And Human Sciences, Jennifer M. Jabson Tree, Stefanie Benjamin, Dorian L. Mccoy Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Colleges of health, human sciences, and education are often administratively organized to include a diverse array of human sciences departments that share roots in social justice and a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion. Despite espoused commitments to equity and inclusion, they frequently struggle to achieve the changes necessary for advancing equity, and inclusion principles across policies, practices, procedures, and units. We implemented and evaluated a 7-day, total immersion, 56-h, educational program entitled the “Social Justice Institute” (SJI) for two cohorts of faculty, staff, and administrators to develop self-efficacy to intervene in systemic oppression in their academic units. SJI delivered …

Cole Nelson, Oral History Interview, 2025, Kat Hacanyan

Oral Histories

Cole Nelson is an EMU alum who earned a degree in political Science in 2022. During his time at Eastern he worked in the Center for Jewish Studies with founding director, Marty Shichtman. Nelson worked closely with Shichtman, helping with things like event planning and updating the website. In this interview, he talks about his experiences at EMU, being hired as Shichtman's assistant, and how the center stayed afloat at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

How Much Can Families Afford To Pay For College?, Peter Hinrichs

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper studies families’ capacity to pay for college in the United States, focusing on changes over time and differences by race and socioeconomic status. I use data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) to document changes over time in the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The results suggest that the EFC has been rising over time, and that this has been driven primarily by families in the upper quartile of the income distribution. I then use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to calculate alternative measures …

At-Risk Students' Perceptions Of Holistic Advising: A Phenomenological Study, Jonathan David Broyles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand at-risk students’ perceptions of success after having received holistic advising practices at public, four-year universities located in the Southeast United States. The theory that guided this study was Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation, which emphasizes the importance of addressing students’ academic, social, personal, physiological, safety, and emotional needs to support their academic success better. The Central Research Question was: what are at-risk students’ perceptions of success after receiving holistic advising practices? The transcendental phenomenological approach allowed the researcher to explore the phenomenon with others who have experienced the same phenomenon through …

Dismantling Inequities In The Faculty Evaluation System, Mary Petron, William Blackwell, Abbie Strunc

School Leadership Review

Qualifying for merit is a competitive and contentious process in higher education. Many merit structures are based upon traditional faculty evaluation systems which do not reflect the changing nature of higher education and thus, yield inequitable results. This article presents the case of a large department at a mid-size regional university that revised the system for merit and faculty evaluation to recognize undergraduate contributions and more equitably score the scholarship, service, and teaching of faculty members in the department. The case describes the relevant literature, the university and departmental context, the process for designing the new evaluation system, and lessons …

A Survey-Based Quantification Of Imposter Phenomenon In Occupational Therapy, Dina Prisco, Siobhan Walsh

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Imposter phenomenon is a professional issue that negatively affects health professionals’ performance and well-being. This study examined imposter phenomenon’s prevalence in occupational therapy (OT). Researchers hypothesized that imposter phenomenon is prevalent in OT, more so in underrepresented groups. The rate of imposter phenomenon throughout OT was quantified and rates between demographic groups compared.

Method: This study used an exploratory, survey-based research design. Survey sections included informed consent, demographics, and the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale (CIPS). The CIPS measured rates of imposterism. Analyses of variances and independent group t-tests were performed to identify significant differences between groups. Inclusion criteria …

Rewriting The Map: How First-Generation Students Navigate Capital And Construct Place Identity In Higher Education, Joseph Rory Weinstein

Theses & Dissertations

First-generation (FG) college students navigate higher education as both participants and disruptors in an institutional system that privileges dominant forms of cultural capital. This study explores how FG students develop place identity at a private university in the northeastern United States, examining how they interpret and negotiate the campus environment and the capital exchanges inherent to the space. Using Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth model, this research critically interrogates how students leverage, preserve, and redefine capital within an academic landscape shaped by neoliberal values. Through participant-generated photo elicitation and semi-structured interviews with five FG students, …

The Challenges Facing Academic Freedom And Free Speech, Keith E. Whittington

Catholic University Law Review

There are growing challenges to free speech and academic freedom on American college campuses. There is pressure from both the political left and the political right to suppress controversial speech on campus, and there are calls to restrict speech that come both from members of the campus community and from those beyond the campus gates. In this difficult environment, it is essential that academics both understand the principles of academic freedom and campus free speech and work to advocate for them.

Transforming Education With Ai: An Exploratory Study Of Faculty Insights On Chatgpt's Opportunities And Risks, Sobaih Abu Elnasr E., Mohamed Naceur Mahjoubi, Riadh Brini, Amer A. N. A. N. Al-Qutaish

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objective: This study explores ChatGPT adoption in higher education, highlighting both its benefits and perceived risks. Method: This research adopts an exploratory and qualitative approach to deeply analyse instructors’ perceptions regarding ChatGPT adoption in higher education. This approach is implemented via semi-structured interviews with 25 faculty members from different nationalities. Result: The findings reveal that ChatGPT improves academic performance, research activities, and training, but also raises concerns about technology dependency, ethical implications, and diminished human interaction. Conclusion: Faculty members emphasize the need for thoughtful and balanced integration of this technology to maximize its benefits while minimizing its potential risks.

Jessica "Decky" Alexander, Oral History Interview, 2025, Kat Hacanyan

Oral Histories

Decky Alexander is a professor of drama and theater education and the Director of Engage@EMU. Alexander has become a well known community member across Washtenaw County through her theater education programs and work with organizations like the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor. She is the founder of CloseUp theater troupe and has been another long time supporter and board member of the Center for Jewish Studies at EMU. In this interview, Alexander talks about her Jewish upbringing in Chicago, the strengths of a good community network, and why having a center like this is especially important at EMU.

Grounding Ai Use In Learning Science: A Conversation With Steven Miller, Steven Miller, Lieven Demeester

CASTLe: Collection of Articles on Scholarship for Teaching and Learning

In this insightful interview, SMU Associate Provost (Teaching and Learning Innovation) Lieven Demeester and Professor Emeritus of Information Systems Steven Miller discuss the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning, emphasising the importance of grounding AI use in the fundamentals of learning science. They explore the evolving role of education in the context of AI advancements, highlighting the need for educators to focus on the cognitive aspects of learning, such as goal-directed practice and feedback. They also address the potential of AI as a collaborative agent in group projects and the importance of maintaining accountability and quality control …

Effectively Advising Students Transitioning Majors, Layna Holk

Higher Education Student Work

Students often feel unprepared for the academic demands of their chosen majors and can experience a lack of sufficient support from advisory practices, in turn feeling overwhelmed in their academic journey (Cody, 2024). Guided by extrinsic and intrinsic motivations alongside their personal orientations, major changes can affect a student’s retention to a school or the higher education institution as a whole (Soria & Stebleton, 2013; Gillis & Ryberg, 2021). To address this challenge, I developed a training program for faculty advisors in Effectively Advising Students Transitioning (EAST) majors. In doing so, I will train faculty to appropriately navigate and effectively …

Full Issue 17(2) 2025

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Introduction 17(2) 2025, Rosalind Latiner Raby

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Nsu Kpcom Link - Spring 2025 - Volume 4.1, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Florida Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Crisis Communication Role In Influencing Student Perceptions Of Safety On Campus, Madison Solomon, Jyanne Guide, Bryce Graham

2025 Honors College Research Symposium

Crisis communication plays a crucial role in shaping student perceptions of safety. Universities across the nation have leveraged new digital communications to alert students in times of emergency, but there are persistent concerns about the timeliness and clarity of these messages, and discrepancies in crime reports. Previous research suggests that delayed and cryptic messages stimulate anxiety, while clear and timely communications foster trust. Building on previous research, we propose a study that inspects the influence of campus safety communication, especially the frequency, channel, and clarity of messages, on students’ perception of safety on North Carolina A&T’s campus. By using archival …